Gate-latch.



intensa To all whom it mail] 'concern ign'ates a entran erratas PATENT onirica.

T. CLARK, JR., OF HENIDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE.

GATELATCH.

Patented dan. *371913.

application tiled August 19 1912. Serial No. 715,902.

Be it known that l, HENRY T. CLARK, Jr., a citisen ot' the United States, residing at Hendersonville, in the county ot Sumner and State ot Tennessee, have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Gate- Latches, of whiclrthe following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to gate latches and has for its primary object to provide an improved device of this character which is extremely simple in construction,A may be manufacture-d and sold at comparatively small lcost and can be easily and quickly applied to a gate without necessitating the employment of skilled labor.

Another and more specitic object et the invention is to provide a gate latch including pivoted latch members carried by the late and adapted to engage keepers on the gate post, means connected to said latch members to lit't the same from engagementk `with the keepers, and a. weight carried" by one ot the latch members and improved means for easily and quickly adjusting said' weight longitudinally upon said latch member toward and from its pivot.

l,l'ith the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description j'iroceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions7 combinations and arrangements ol the parts that, I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim. I

For a full understanding of the invention. reference is to be had to the follow ing description and accompanying drawing, in which# e Figure l is a side elevation ot a gate latch einlgiodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. tl is au enlarged detail section taken on the line 3-3 oi: Fig. i. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view part-ly in section ot' the lower weighted latch liar.

.Corresponding and like parts are ie'terred t0 in the following description and designated in the accompanying drawing by like reference characters.

liteferring in detail to the drawingl 5 desgate which may bc vot any pre- -crrcd construction and hingcdly mountv ed as atti upon a gate post 7. 'lhe other gate post? is provided with spaced keepers 9 arranged thereon in vertical alincmcnt. Said keepers having inclined faces l0 over which the latch bars are adapted to rideV as will be fully understood from the follow ing description.

Upon the gate 5 at a point adjacent the free end thereof, the inner ends of the, lon t gitudinally disposed latchv bars 11 are pivot-l ed as indicated at 12. The outer ends of these latch bars project beyond the end of the gate for engagement with the keepers 9 when the gate is moved to swing to its closed position. Avertically disposed bar 13 is pivotally connected to the spaced latch bars 11 as shown at 14. `The upper end of said vertical bar projects above the upper edge ofthe gate 5. To this upper end of the bar 13 one end of an operating lever 15 is pivotally connected'. -This lever is fulcrurned intermediate of its ends between spaced cars 16 which are secured to the upper-most bar of the gate and is adapted to be oscill'ated to movethe bar 13 upwardly and lift the outer ends .of the latch bars 11. The lower latch bar 11 is provided in its op osito faces with longitudinal channels 17. The upper-walls of these channels are provided with spaced rectangular -recesses or sockets i8. A metal block or other weight 19 is adapted to be moved longitudinally upon the lat'ch bar 11 and to the upper sur face ot said weightV block a resilient metal plate Q0 is secured. The ends of this plate -aro vertically extended of the har 11 and inwardly flanged as shown at il to extend into the channels 17 ot said bar. The extremities of the plate Q0 are bent at right angles to the portions Q1 thereof and vertically extended as shown at 2Q tor engagement in the recesses 18. lt will he noted that the channels 17 are sutiicicntly wide to admit of the portions 2l of the plate Q0 being forced downwardly to discngage the upwardly extending ends Q2 o'f the thc platt` Q0 niav ho moved longitudinally in tlu` channels. Thus the weight i9 may be easily and quickly adjusted toward or trom the pivot' ot the latch bars ll.

From the 'foregoing it will be seen that l. ha ve devised a simple and cll'uicut latch 'for gates and similar structures whereby the gate, muy he easily and (luicldy released for movenunt to its open positionr` while the latch liars ll will automatically assume theirloclo ing` positions in eugagcuunt with eis t) and he retained in such positions by meansy oi the` weight mcinbcr 1t). When it the koepg upon opposite sides l 

